Monday, September 06, 2010

Whitney-Gilman to Cannon summit

Most hikers talk about "climbing Cannon " Mountain and most climbers climb Cannon, but take small, unofficial trails back down from the tops of the climbs, never venturing towards the summit. What about climbing Cannon to the summit via the Whitney-Gilman ridge?

I had been talking about it for two years and my buddy from Bay City days, Travis, was coming into town and wouldn't be swayed from tackling it, the harder variations on every pitch or even combining pitches. Thankfully, he was also game for spending almost as much time bushwhacking through thick scrub as on the route.

Looking down from the top of pitch 5 to some climbers at the top of pitch 3 and on down to the talus field. Twelve climbers showed up to climb the route between 7:45 and 8:15am.

Looking up the 5.7 start (the 5.4 starts around the corner to the right and meets up 50 feet above).

Travis tackles the 5.8 variation on pitch 2. The crack wasn't bad, but the sharp, loose flakes around the right corner took some concentration.

Coming up pitch 5 after hugging both sides of the arete to reach the spot.

Across Cannon cliff from the top of pitch 5

Climbing parties on VMC Direct (5.10d) and Moby Grape (5.8)

Bushwhacking through the upper talus field, looking for the Kinsman Trail. Sorry, no photos of the balsam and moss jungle at the top of the mountain.

On the trail, with the summit in sight.

Cannon Ale and hot dogs at the top of the gondola.

The route from a March 2010 shot from Mt. Lafayette (no snow on Labor Day weekend).

As written for the Concord Monitor:http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/218873/looking-up